Aftermath
by BobTheCat'sSister
Summary: My version of the end of Season 4, with a twist. Pam and Eric's POVs. The shattering of their one hundred year Maker/Child relationship.
1. Agony

**Author's Note: This is something that has been rattling around in my brain for a while. It is my version of the end of True Blood Season 4. This fic is told from Pam's POV. I don't know yet if it will be a one-shot or not. I guess I will let my muse decide. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. True Blood is owned by Alan Ball. Southern Vampire Mysteries is owned by Charlaine Harris. I own nothing.**

AFTERMATH

The anguish and fury were beyond anything she had ever felt. She hadn't known this kind of agony was even possible, like being torn apart from the inside out. She could feel the scalding pain down to the very marrow in her bones. Pam clenched her fists and shrieked. Screaming in rage, she brought her fists down in a wild arc. Eric's desk splintered into a hundred pieces, shards flying in every direction. She wanted to kill him. And she wanted to kill his precious fucking fairy. She wanted to make him hurt the way she was hurting. Why had this happened? How could he have done this to her? She couldn't understand. The blood in her veins, _his blood, _was crying out ….. _betrayal, betrayal, betrayal._

"_Get out of my sight ….. get out of my sight before I kill you." _

Eric's words rang in her ears over and over. Pam screamed again and threw two chairs across the room. In a blind rage, she turned around and pulled a bookshelf down, flinging it against the opposite wall. A filing cabinet followed, pictures and memorabilia were torn off the walls and smashed. Looking wildly around the room for something else to destroy, her gaze settled on the black leather sofa. She launched herself at it, her hands curved into claws, as she ripped the sofa into shreds and tatters.

"_Get out of my sight ….. get out of my sight before I kill you." _

He had threatened to kill her. His face twisted in rage, he'd threatened to kill her and he had meant it. She had felt the danger emanating off him in waves and she had turned and ran for her life, afraid of him for the first time ever. She was dimly aware that she was beating her fists into the floor. She could hear guttural, almost feral moans coming from deep in her chest. Her vision had blurred and everything was tinged with red. She realized she must be crying.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

Eric had rejected her. The one being who meant everything to her, was everything to her, her Maker, had cast her aside. All she had wanted was to save him. He had been going to sacrifice himself for that goddamn fairy. She couldn't have borne it, couldn't have stood by and watched him commit suicide. So she had fired the bazooka. And then he had turned on her and looked at her with sheer hatred in his eyes. Pam couldn't begin to comprehend it. Eric hated her; her Maker _hated _her.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

She had loved him for a hundred years, loved him since the night they had met. She'd loved him when he turned her. She was _his_, and she would have done anything for him. He had rescued her from a hellish human existence and given her a new life. He had been her father, her teacher, lover, brother, confidant, and best friend. Now he was lost to her.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

Pam wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. She was suffocating. She didn't need air, had no need to breathe, but she knew she was suffocating. Was this what it felt like to go insane? She threw her head back and wailed.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

Suddenly she had to be away from this place. Away from Shreveport, away from him, away from the memories that were cutting into her like silver-tipped razors. Pam got to her feet and ran out the back door of Eric's office. She didn't stop for her car, didn't think about where she was going; just ran blindly into the night. She was desperate to escape. If she could run far enough away, the pain wouldn't be able to find her.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

She ran and ran for hours. On some level, she was vaguely aware of the landscape passing her by. She could feel the ground beneath her pounding feet and the wind whipping through her hair as she ran. Trees, buildings, and other structures passed by in a blur but they meant nothing to her. Finally, the lightening sky began to penetrate the fog which had been numbing her mind. Sunlight meant danger and the dawn meant death. She stopped and looked around. Where was she? She didn't know this place. She was alone in a forest somewhere in the mountains. Why was she here? Why had she been running? The sky was becoming lighter and lighter. Suddenly terrified, she dropped to her knees and began digging herself into the earth. She had to hide from the blazing sun. She dug herself down further and further until she could no longer sense the cruel light. Her limbs were becoming heavy and she could feel the tug of the day dragging at her consciousness. Just before it pulled her under, the vampire heard a voice she thought she ought to recognize flash through her shattered memory.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_


	2. Consequences

**Author's Note: This story has been dormant for several months now. Originally, I had thought it was going to be a one-shot; but now I feel inspired to add to it. We'll see where it leads. In this story, there is no confrontation between Sookie, Tara, and Debbie Pelt; that never happens. This chapter is told from Eric's POV. Also, please be warned this chapter contains a good deal of cursing. **

Eric stared at the wreckage that had been his office. _Fuck!_ What a gods-damn fiasco this was. He was so pissed he felt like demolishing the rest of Fangtasia himself. He hissed furiously. His lover and his child; Sookie had rejected him and Pam had defied him. Damn them both. If they were here right now he would happily wring both of their necks.

Well, Pam was his greater concern at the moment. Sookie had gone back to her house and he could feel through his blood that she was fine. But where was his child? He had felt her rage last night ….. and something else he didn't understand.

He knew that he had hurt her. But in the heat of the moment, _in the heat of battle_, he hadn't been able to control himself. He'd been angry with Pam before, but he'd never lost it with her the way he had two nights ago outside of The Moon Goddess. He'd just been so fucking afraid, and that had made him enraged and dangerous. It galled him that the whore witch had made him feel fear. But she had. He had been desperate to save Sookie and afraid for all of their lives. When Pam had fired that bazooka, he'd snapped.

"_Get out of my sight ….. get out of my sight, before I kill you."_

Shit, had he actually said that? He hadn't meant it. She knew that he hadn't meant it, didn't she? He looked around his office again. Everything in here was destroyed; furniture, papers, everything. Her blood was smeared in several places on the floor and on the walls. It wasn't like her to throw a fit like this. Was it just a temper-tantrum? Maybe she was off somewhere sulking. Perhaps he should just leave her alone and let her cool down.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you." _

"Ginger!" he snapped.

"Yes, Master?" His dim-witted barmaid came scurrying down the hall in four inch stilettos and an outfit so skimpy it could pass for a belt.

"Were you here last night? Did you see what happened in here?"

"Um … I heard it more than saw it, Master. Mistress Pam came runnin in and she was screamin and throwin things around and shit. And then she ran out the back."

"Did she say anything?" he asked.

"No, Master. Just a buncha screamin and shit."

His words flashed through his mind again. _"Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

"Call Bobby. Tell him to have my office repaired and everything in it replaced. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master" Ginger nodded obediently.

Eric walked through the debris covering the floor until he reached the back door that led to Fangtasia's rear parking lot. Pam's car was still here. Had she gone back to her house? He sprinted over to his Corvette and slid behind the wheel. Her house was only fifteen minutes from the bar. As he drove, he let his senses reach out, trying to feel her in his blood. Yes, she was there. He could feel her. She would be okay ….. she just felt a little, _off._ But he would explain, he would make her understand why he had reacted the way he had.

Her house was dark as he pulled into her driveway. He knew before he got out of his car that she wasn't here. Damn it, where the hell was she? He was at her front door and inside the house in the blink of an eye. He went from room to room searching, even though he knew she wasn't here. He finally stopped when he came to her bedroom. Everything looked normal, he couldn't see anything that was out of place. But his sense of unease was growing. Something about all of this was just ….. _wrong._ He had felt the wrongness since last night, but he'd been so preoccupied with Sookie.

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

He would have to _call_ her. His Maker's call was not something that he used often or lightly. Godric had taught him it was only to be used for matters of the utmost importance or in times of serious danger.

'_Pam'_ he called to her through the bond they shared. No response.

'_Pam ….. answer me.'_ No response.

'_My child, as your Maker, I command you to answer. It is alright, you have nothing to fear. Come home.'_

Silence. Eric was dumbstruck. This wasn't possible. She had to respond! A Maker's call was irresistible; she had no choice but to answer. _Why didn't she answer?_

"_Get out of my sight before I kill you."_

Eric's mind began to race and he fought for control of his own emotions. Something was wrong. Was she injured? Was that the reason she didn't respond to his call? Could it be that witch? No ….. no, Marnie was dead, and her spirit had departed along with that of Antonia's. The other members of her coven were harmless children. But something was keeping Pam from answering him. _What the fuck was happening to his child?_

A thought suddenly struck him. What if this had something to do with the Authority. Had that bitch Nan taken Pam, before he and Bill sent her to her Final Death? Did the Authority have her right now; were they the ones preventing her from answering him. That possibility chilled him more than anything.

He had to find his child. He knew she was out there somewhere. He reached out again and felt her life force in the periphery of his mind; he could still feel her in his blood and it calmed him a little. But she was so faint, he ought to be able to feel so much more. Last night he had felt her emotions washing over him in waves of pain and anger. Now there was only a dim humming presence. He couldn't even get a sense of her location.

It didn't matter. He would find her and bring her home. No matter how long it took or who he had to kill. He would find the ones responsible for taking Pam and destroy them. No one wounded his child and got away with it.

Forming his plans for the upcoming search, Eric ran from Pam's house and flew out into the quiet night.


	3. Lost

**Chapter 3**

She was so hungry. The vampire needed to feed and soon. She wandered through the woods looking for humans. She had been hunting for three nights but hadn't caught the scent of any and she was desperate. The drive for blood kept pushing her on.

Where was she? _Who was she? _How had she gotten to this place and why were there no humans around? The questions played over and over in her mind relentlessly. She had awoken three nights ago, buried in the earth, and had clawed herself free. She had found a cave that first night and hidden herself from the sun when it arose. The second night, like tonight, had been spent searching for humans.

But goddamn it, there was nothing here! She had covered mile after mile but there were no humans, there was no city. Why was she in this wilderness? Terror began to claw its way up her throat. There was nothing around her except trees and mountains. No matter what direction she looked, all she could see was an endless sea of trees and steep mountain peaks. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here. She didn't belong in this place.

The vampire looked up at the sky as if it could tell her something. It was a clear night but the only light she could see was coming from the stars and the moon. Her ears were filled with the sounds of night animals and insects. She could also hear rushing water nearby and cautiously she made her way toward the sound. Even though she hadn't come across a human settlement of any kind, she knew that where there was water, there were often humans.

Her fangs extended with a tiny click. She crouched low and moved silently through the trees, hoping to catch a human scent on the air. The sound of the rushing water grew louder. Suddenly she froze as he came into her sight. Anger and disappointment surged through her as she stared at the buck.

A goddamn deer. No humans; just a goddamn buck. He stood on the river's edge, his head down as he drank.

The vampire wanted to scream in frustration. She needed blood! But she wanted human blood, not animal blood. She was _craving_ human blood. S_he had to feed._ The hunger was getting worse. It was so bad tonight that it had begun to hurt. It felt like fire was coursing through her veins and pooling in her stomach. Compelled, she continued to watch the buck. The scent of its blood nauseated her, even as it drew her in.

Suddenly, her hunger was too much and she sprung. In an instant she had the deer down on its side, her fangs embedded in its neck. It thrashed madly as she held its head down by the antlers and tore its throat open. Hot blood poured into her mouth. It was sour and vile.

Feeding wasn't supposed to be like this. _This was wrong!_ She wasn't supposed to be drinking the blood of this animal. But she was so hungry it was almost unbearable. The pain of needing to feed was overwhelming and she gulped mouthful after mouthful of the putrid blood as the deer twitched in its death spasms. The vampire heard the creature's heartbeat begin to slow as she gorged on its blood. Then the heart stopped altogether. Mindlessly, she continued to drink.

Finally, the gnawing hunger began to subside. She stopped drinking and slowly crawled away from the animal's carcass. But she didn't feel sated; instead she felt bloated and sick. Her stomach was distended and felt like it was filled with hot needles. She lay on the riverbank clutching her abdomen as waves of nausea began to roll through her. Suddenly, her body convulsed and she began to retch. The deer's blood shot up and out of her throat and nostrils in violent projectile streams. She vomited in spasms as her her body purged itself of the offending blood.

Finally it was over and she lay on her side whimpering. With her body's rejection of the animal blood, the horrible hunger had returned. She began to cry. She was going to starve out here. And it wouldn't be quick. She knew instinctively that it would be slow and hideous. Misery and desperation flooded her and she sobbed.

She could still taste the deer's blood in her mouth, smell it covering her face and neck. Involuntarily, she heaved and began to gag again. _She had to get it off!_ She crawled to the river's edge and slid her aching body into the water. It was icy cold and the sensation distracted her from the fiery hunger. Moving further out, she went deeper until the water completely covered her head. She opened her mouth and let it pour in and down her burning throat. It brought some relief from the pain and for a moment she was able to relax, her body supported and suspended by the river.

She had to find her way out of this wilderness. If she didn't, she was going to go mad from hunger. It was already beginning. With every night that passed her body was getting weaker and she was becoming more and more irrational. She had _known _not to drink that animal's blood! But she was so hungry that she had done it anyway.

"_We must never drink the blood of animals; it's poison. Only human blood can sustain us. No matter how hungry you are; never forget that."_

A man's voice. A deep, smooth voice that sounded like a lion purring. It was soothing and she clung to the memory of that voice. A man had said those words to her. Another vampire. Who was he?

She swam slowly back to the river's edge, being sure to stay upwind and well clear of the deer's remains. When she reached the bank, she bent over at the waist and let the water pour out of her throat. The hunger was returning but at least the vile taste and smell of the deer's blood was gone.

She needed to rest. It was still hours until daylight but she had used so much of her energy searching for humans and then killing the deer that now she felt on the verge of collapse. She had to conserve what strength she had left if she was going to somehow survive. She needed time to think and come up with a plan. And she wanted to recapture more of the memory of that voice.

Slowly, the vampire made her way back to her cave.


	4. Memories

**Author's Note: Hi everybody. I am changing the rating of this fic from T to M because this chapter contains a small lemon. It is not extremely graphic, but if you don't want to read lemons at all, please hit the back button now. Part of this chapter was inspired by TB Season 5, Episode 3: **_**Whatever I Am, You Made Me.**_** I thought the show's flashbacks of how Eric met and made Pam were absolutely flawless; they just couldn't have been more perfect.**

**As always, I do not own any of the characters in True Blood or Southern Vampire Mysteries. I own nothing. My fanfics are just for fun and I hope y'all enjoy them! This chapter is told from multiple points-of-view, because I just couldn't think of any other way to do it.**

**Chapter Four:**

**Eric and Bill's POVs.**

Eric was going out of his mind. He paced Bill's office like a caged tiger. Pam was being tortured, he could feel it. She was so hungry; he could feel a burning gnawing deep in his gut. Someone had his child and was torturing her by starvation. It had been five nights since she'd disappeared, and each night the pain and hunger got worse and worse. Eric felt like he was going to explode. Pam was suffering but, no matter how hard he tried, he could not get a sense of her location; nor could he zero in on any specific emotions coming from her. The only thing he could feel was the pain of her hunger.

Bill leaned back in his chair and watched Eric pace. He flicked his eyes across the room to where Sookie sat beside Jessica on the sofa. They exchanged worried glances. He didn't need her telepathy to know what she was thinking. The last time they had seen Eric this agitated had been in Dallas when Godric was missing.

_If we don't find her soon, he's going to snap_, Bill thought to himself.

He glanced at Jessica, who was taking this all in with wide blue eyes. He could understand how Eric felt. Even though he held no special love for Pam, just the thought of anyone hurting his Jessica enraged him. When he had first made her, he hadn't understood the strength of the Maker/child bond. Now, only a year and a half later, he couldn't imagine his life without her. She had become the daughter he had lost. Yes, he could empathize with what Eric was going through.

"My agents in New Orleans are coming up empty-handed," Bill said. "There's been no sign of her that they can find. The other Sheriffs are reporting that there's no trace of Pam in their Areas either." He paused a moment. "What about your contact in The Authority?"

"Nothing," Eric snarled. "They don't have her."

"How can you be so sure? Could your source be lying?"

Eric turned and glared at Bill. "Impossible" he spat out, "my source is above reproach."

_No vampire is above reproach, _Bill thought. But he kept that sentiment to himself.

"Who else could have taken her like this?" he pressed. "Who could just make her vanish so completely that you can't even track her? Are you certain that she hasn't met the True Death?"

The effect of those words was instantaneous. Eric picked up a steel and glass coffee table and hurled it across the room at Bill's head. He dodged it easily enough but suddenly found himself grappling with the infuriated Sheriff of Area Five. He could hear Jessica shrieking and Sookie yelling in the background.

"Stop, stop it. Eric, stop it. Let him go! Damn it, let go! This isn't helping."

**Sookie's POV.**

One moment she had been sitting with Jess, listening to their conversation, and then in the next the coffee table was flying through the air and Eric and Bill were trying to kill each other. Sookie ran across the room and jumped on Eric's back, trying to pry him off of Bill. Jessica had her arms wrapped around Bill's waist and she was doing her best to drag him away from Eric, but so far the male vampires were ignoring them both. The room was filled with the sounds of hissing and snarling.

Sookie felt the frustration and desperation mounting inside her. Suddenly, with no warning, bright white energy pooled and channeled out through both her palms. She and the three vampires all flew in opposite directions of the room. They hit opposite walls and there was a moment of stunned silence. All Sookie could hear was her own ragged breathing. She lay on the floor panting.

"Jess, are you alright? I didn't mean to zap _you_ like that."

"I'm ok, you just zinged me a little bit." Jessica stood up, straightening her dress. She vamped over to where Sookie still lay on the floor and gingerly helped her to stand.

Eric and Bill were both on their feet, glaring at each other.

"I will let this go _this time_, Sheriff, since I can clearly see that your concern for your progeny is clouding your judgment" Bill said. "But do not think to assault _your King_ again."

Fangs down, Eric hissed viciously. Against her better judgment, Sookie moved to stand between him and Bill, her arms spread out between them.

"Alright, that is enough from both of you" she said in a loud hard voice. "Just stop it, this is not helping to find Pam. Eric, let's go outside and talk." She walked over to him and gripped his arm with both hands. "Come on, now" she said, tugging, and was relieved when he gave in and let her pull him toward the front door. She turned her head and gave Bill a very clear _'stay here' _look as she led Eric outside and onto Bill's front porch. She eyed him worriedly. He was even paler than usual and his features seemed too tight and drawn.

"When was the last time you fed?"

"I'm over a thousand years old. I don't need to feed as much as the young ones. Don't talk to me as if I'm a child."

He turned and walked to the end of the porch. Gripping the railing, he stared out into the woods. Sookie approached him cautiously. She stopped a few feet behind him and stared at his back.

_He's lashing out because he's frightened, _she thought. _I guess there's not that much difference between human men and vampire men in this respect. When they're scared they act all angry and macho._

"Eric" she said gently, "you need to feed for Pam's sake. You've got to be at your strongest for when you find her and when you bring her back."

She was very careful to say _when_ you find her, not _if_ you find her. She moved in closer until she was standing beside him, and slowly held out her left arm.

"Here, you can feed from me."

He flinched slightly and the wooden railing made a splintering noise from where his hands gripped it. He didn't say anything or even turn his head to look at her.

**Eric's POV.**

Sookie was offering him her wrist. For the first time ever, the thought of her blood held no appeal for him.

_How could he feed when his child had nothing? How could he drink Sookie's precious fairy blood when he knew Pam was out there somewhere starving. He had every vampire in his service tearing Louisiana apart, but so far they had found nothing. She needed him and he was failing her._

His mind flashed back to San Francisco.

"_Do you know what happens to women like me when we get old? We're pariahs; we die alone in the dark. If you knew what kind of life awaits me, you wouldn't hesitate to turn me."_

"_And if you knew the responsibility that comes with being a Maker, you wouldn't dare ask."_

"_Then make me and leave me. I'll take care of myself, I always have."_

"_Would you toss a newborn baby in the gutter? Abandoning a new vampire is no different. Becoming a Maker is an eternal commitment; greater than any marriage, deeper than any human bond. To throw that away is sacrilege."_

"_An honorable vampire. Isn't that a contradiction."_

"_No more than an intelligent whore. Yet here we are."_

He had been leaving, had made the decision to walk away from her. He didn't want a child; he certainly didn't want the responsibility of being a Maker.

Seconds later she had opened her veins and taken the choice away from him.

_"Let me walk the world with you, Mr. Northman, or watch me die."_

He had been so angry. So furious with her for forcing him into this that he had intentionally torn her veins even more while drawing her blood into his mouth. But she hadn't cried out; she'd just looked at him with tears of gratitude in her eyes. After he'd fed her his blood, the last words she said to him as a human were _"thank you."_

The next night she'd risen with a newborn's insatiable burning hunger.

"_It hurts. Eric, it hurts! I can't stand it. Make it stop. Please, make it stop!"_

And he had. He found a small gang of three human thieves, glamoured them, and brought them to her. She completely drained the first two herself, and they had shared the third. Afterwards, their bloodlust and desire for each other swept them down a dark tunnel.

She had lunged at him, tearing at his clothes. He threw her to the ground and ripped her gown to shreds. Then he was on her. She wasn't human anymore, she was vampire now and he didn't have to be careful. She parted her legs for him and he pushed inside her and let the savage inside himself loose. Pam arched her back and screamed. She clawed at his back, her fingernails making bloody tracks until he caught her wrists and held them outstretched above her head as he continued to pump. Just as she came, he sank his fangs into her breast and she screamed again.

Afterwards, they lay with their arms and legs entwined. He gave her his wrist and she drank from him, while he pushed three fingers of his other hand deep inside her. She came again.

"Eric, are you hearing me?" Sookie was saying. "If you won't drink from me, then go to Fangtasia and pick out a fangbanger or drink Tru Blood; but you have to feed. You won't be any good to Pam if you're too weak to rescue her."

The front door opened and Bill and Jessica walked out onto the porch. Bill stared at Sookie for a moment.

"Any ideas?" he asked calmly. Eric was sure he could hear just a hint of sarcasm in Bill's voice.

Surprisingly, it was Jessica who spoke up, startling them all.

"What about a witch?" she said.

When they all just gawked at her, she shrugged her shoulders self-consciously.

"Well, I mean witches have magic and they can do all sorts of things, right? I'm not talking about a crazy psycho witch like Marnie. I mean a good witch, one that would help us. You know, maybe one that could cast some sort of spell and find Pam."

Eric stared at Jessica like he had never seen her before. A split second later, he flew off Bill's porch and shot into the air. He couldn't believe he had overlooked what was so fucking obvious. What the fuck was wrong with him? It had taken Bill's air-headed, fluff-brained child to remind him of what he had known for centuries. A witch could find Pam for him. He flew toward New Orleans and Octavia Fant.


	5. Amelia

**Author's Note: Ouch! Sorry it has been so long since my last update. I'm like Congress; I can't do anything quickly and nothing comes easy. Hope y'all enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter Five**

**Eric's POV:**

Eric pounded on the door of _The Onyx Room,_ Octavia Fant's place of business, in the heart of the French Quarter. Like many places of its ilk, _The Onyx Room_ catered to both locals and tourists alike. The tourists came to gawk at all the witchy trappings. They paid good money to have their palms read and see their futures foretold in the Tarot cards. They bought new age jewelry, souvenir voodoo dolls, and books about the history of New Orleans and its most famous voodoo priestess, Marie Laveau. Eric had never personally met Marie but he knew several vampires who had; and from what he had been told, that witch had been a hell-raiser, _literally._

Of course, tourists weren't the only ones who frequented _The Onyx Room_. The locals came in as well, both the humans and the supes. Octavia Fant's reputation was well known throughout Louisiana. Humans came to her for love potions and various sorts of homeopathic remedies. Supes came to her for protection wards, spells for good fortune in business, and to rid themselves of hexes. Generally speaking, Madame Fant did not practice the darker arts, unless it was in defense of her clients. Eric sneered to himself. As witches went, she was considered more or less "respectable."

"Open the door witch, I have business with you."

He took one step back as the door opened a few inches and a young woman with brown hair and green eyes hesitantly peeked out.

"I'm sorry sir, but we're currently closed."

Eric pushed the door open and barged inside, forcing the young woman to back up or be plowed over.

"Your hours of business mean nothing to me. I am here to see Madame Fant. Summon her immediately. Tell her Sheriff Eric Northman requires her services."

"Oh … well … I'm sorry but she isn't here. She's on her honeymoon. She finally got the old ball and chain shackled around Louis's leg," the young woman said grinning. "But perhaps there's something that I can help you with. We're always eager to serve our vampire clientele and we will be open tomorrow evening. Could I make an appointment for you?"

Eric dropped his fangs and took a threatening step toward the girl.

"I didn't come here for an appointment," he hissed furiously. "I came here for Octavia Fant. You will call her back from her honeymoon and you will do it now. This is not a request. Do you understand?"

He had the girl backed up against the wall and was towering over her. She was maybe an inch or two taller than Sookie and he was able to dwarf her completely.

Suddenly, something hissed at him from above. Eric looked up. A black and white cat was poking its head out between the rails of a staircase directly above him.

_Hhhssstt … mmmrrreeooowww …phhssttt!_

The damned little beast was hissing at him!

"Eeeek!" The girl squeaked and jumped about two inches in the air.

"Oh, oh, I'm really sorry … Mr. … uh … Mr. Northman. That, that, that … that's my cat … uh, Bob. I'm sorry he hissed at you. He's kind of got a bad attitude; hasn't been feeling too well lately. Sorry!"

Eric took a step back and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to rein in his temper. He didn't have time for this shit! But if he snapped this girl's neck, as he was itching to do, it wouldn't bring him any closer to Octavia Fant and finding Pam. He forced himself to calm down and retract his fangs.

"Miss" … ?

"Oh … it's Broadway, Amelia Broadway. I'm Madame Fant's understudy and apprentice; she's my mentor. I'm tending to the business while she's on her honeymoon."

"Miss Broadway," Eric began slowly. "Let me be as clear possible. I do not care about Madame Fant's honeymoon, I do not care about your internship with her, nor do I care about your cat's bad attitude. I am in need of your Mistress's services. If you value your position with her and her future business prospects with the vampires in this state, then I suggest you call her at once."

v-v-V-v-v

**Amelia's POV:**

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! _Shit, shit shit._

Amelia looked up at the enormous blond vampire. Under normal circumstances, she would have admired how handsome he was. But right now wasn't the time for that. Right now he looked like he was ready to drain her bone dry. What the hell was she going to do? He wanted Octavia. And he had seen Bob! Fuck her life, she was so screwed! She cleared her throat and tried to explain.

"Well, you see Mr. Northman, the thing is … I don't know where they went. Louis and Octavia decided to elope. They didn't tell anyone, not even their friends and family. I came into work three days ago and found the note they had left. It just said that they decided to tie the knot and they would be back in three weeks. I'm pretty sure that Louis even cast a concealing spell so that none of their friends would be able to interrupt them with well-wishes. "

Amelia cringed as the vampire hissed. Bob yowled from the top of the stairs reminding her of her … _other problem._ If this vamp didn't kill her, Octavia would when she got back and found out what had happened with Bob. But maybe … just maybe she could salvage something out of this mess. Maybe she could mitigate some of the damage before Octavia and Louis returned. She stood up straight and lowered her voice to try and sound as professional and confident as possible.

"But perhaps I can help you. I've been studying and working with Madame Fant for two years now. She's taught me a great deal and says I'm quite accomplished."

Mmmrrrooowwww, … mroww, … mrooww!

She rushed on, desperately trying to ignore Bob.

"So, what exactly is it that you need?"

The vampire was glaring at Bob suspiciously. He cut his eyes back to her.

"I need a finding spell. Is that within your capabilities?"

A finding spell. That wasn't her strong suit, but she did know the basic fundamentals.

"Oh, of course it is," she replied, her voice shooting up a little higher than she intended. "I'll be happy to assist you."

The vampire watched her silently for a few moments. Then he seemed to come to some kind of decision. Pulling out his wallet, Amelia watched him remove a business card and write something on the back of it. He handed it to her.

"You will leave for Bon Temps tonight. I will arrange lodging for you with an acquaintance of mine. Her name is Sookie Stackhouse. I've written her address on the back of this card, and I will inform her that you will be arriving in a few hours. She will be expecting you."

"Tonight? Um … I don't know if I can leave tonight. I mean … I have to arrange for someone to watch the shop and …"

The vampire stepped forward again and gripped her chin. He leaned down until their noses were just inches apart.

"You will leave tonight, Ms. Broadway, immediately. Nothing else matters except this assignment, for which I will reward you and Madame Fant _very generously._ But if you fail me, both you and your employer will be looking for a new line of work, most likely somewhere far away from Louisiana. Do I make myself clear?"

Amelia swallowed hard and nodded.

"I'll go upstairs and pack right now. I should be able to be in Bon Temps by sunrise."

"Excellent" the vampire replied. "I will let Miss Stackhouse know of your pending arrival. She will bring you to Fangtasia at sunset tomorrow evening. Until then, Ms. Broadway."

The vampire turned and then was gone in an instant. Amelia closed the shop door and leaned against it. She looked at the business card in her hand. _Hummingbird Road, Bon Temps, Louisiana._ Great Goddess, what had she just gotten herself into?

She heard retching and looked up at the stairs. Bob was coughing up a hairball. He glared at her with accusing green eyes.

Fuck her life.


End file.
